


Flip Side

by Kyandi_Akatensei



Category: Tennis no Oujisama | Prince of Tennis
Genre: Multi, Multiple Pairings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-12
Updated: 2018-09-12
Packaged: 2019-07-11 08:36:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,987
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15968693
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kyandi_Akatensei/pseuds/Kyandi_Akatensei
Summary: Higarashi, a name known throughout the tennis world for the company that has it's hands in the sports world, as well as the tennis prodigies that make up the family's children. Now one of those children as come to Seigaku. A first year who reads people like books and has insight to rival the best. With this kid causing headaches for more than just the Seigaku team, things are about to get interesting. Just remember...things aren't always what they seem.





	Flip Side

**Author's Note:**

> Flip Side was originally a story I did on another site that I have now decided to rewrite here. Constructive criticism is welcomed, compliments are highly adored, but, please, do not flame me. As always, I do not own Prince of Tennis.

"Hey, Tezuka, did you hear?"

The day had started the same as always for Tezuka Kunimitsu. Tennis practice before school, classes, and then taking a walk around the courts during afternoon practice with Oishi so he could make a list of possible candidates for the upcoming ranking tournament. It was during that walk that Oishi spoke, drawing his attention to his vice captain, giving him a questioning look.

"The coach is bringing in someone new for the ranking matches. Apparently the kid's another first yeart, but this one is from Russia." Oishi told him.

Tezuka came to a stop, turning to look at his vice captain. First there had been Ryoma, who was a champion from America, and now there was this new kid from Russia. Ryuzaki was certainly working over time to give them the best players they could possibly get.

"A first year from Russia?" Tezuka repeated.  
Oishi gave a nod of his head. While it was great to have a good group of players, they had already seen the issue with a freshman champion like Ryoma. Ryoma wasn't too problematic, but he certainly had his cocky attitude issues. They didn't want to think how much worse this new kid could be.

It was then that Eiji came running up to them.

"Oishi! The new kid is here!" Eiji said loudly, drawing attention from all of the boys around them, who instantly turned to look.

Eiji pointed over to where Ryuzaki had just entered the courts, a young boy following behind her with his hands jammed into his pockets. The kid wasn't too tall, just a few inches taller than Ryoma, but was what body length he did have, was all legs. He was thin, even for his age and the fact that he constantly played a sport. So thin, it was almost to a girlish extent. What drew so much attention to the kid, aside from the novelty of his newness, was that where his tennis bag and the racket that was sticking out of the back of his belt, were solid black right down the very strings of his racket, the boy, himself, was pure white.

The bangs that poked out from under the white cap on his head, were as white as freshly fallen snow. The eyebrows that arched over the sunglasses he wore, were equally so. Even the boy's clothes, a pair of tennis shorts with sliders under them, a jersey, and sneakers, were all white. They only color to the boy was the ivory tan of his skin and the name "Higarashi" in big, bold, silver letters across the back of his jersey.

There there were the bandages wrapping their way up his left leg and his left hand, vanishing under the cuff of his jersey sleeve.

Tezuka had learned, in his years playing tennis, that when someone wore bandages like that, they did it for one of three reasons. The boy didn't move like his was injured, so that ruled that out. That left one of two choices. Either the boy was hiding something under those bandages, or it was merely a fashion statement. Most of the time, in Tezuka's experience, it turned out to be the former.

There was one more thing that stood out, though it was more of an opinion than anything else. In short, plain and simply...the kid honestly reminded all of them of a girl.

Maybe it was the delicate looking frame of the boy that was swamped by his oversized jersey, or perhaps it was the girlish shape of his face with it's softly sloping features, full pink lips, and delicate nose. Then again, Fuji had features that were almost feminine as well, so it was probably just their imaginations.

Tezuka watched as the boy listened to something Ryuzaki said to him, nodding once or twice to everything she said. Ryuzaki pointed out a few things to the boy, even stopping long enough to point out each regular members. She was probably putting names to faces. The boy's head moved but because of the glasses, none of the boys really could tell when the kid was looking their way or another way.

It was a bit unnerving.

Which was probably the whole point to them.

Tezuka and Oishi watched as Ryuzaki said something to the boy, one hand on her hip as she shook a finger at the kid. The boy's lips moved as he replied with a short retort. The coach nodded before she turned to lead the boy towards Tezuka and Oishi. They remained where they stood until Ryuzaki reached them.

"Tezuka, Oishi, this is Higarashi." Ryuzaki said, laying a hand on the boy's shoulder.

The boy bowed his head in a respectful greeting to the two, but didn't utter a single word to them. The name, though, rung a bell and had Oishi's eyes widening when he finally placed it.

"Higarashi? As in Higarashi Inc.? That Higarashi?" Oishi asked.

The boy gave them a single nod, just a simple up and down of the head in confirmation.

Higarashi Inc. was an international company that worked mainly in the field of sports equipment and the management of professional athelets. The current head of the company, Higarashi Hiroki, had, at one point, been a pro athelet, himself, as well as his wife, and, as far as it was known, all of their children were athelets as well.

"Higarashi, here, is the youngest of the Higarashi siblings. Not as quite well known in these parts as the others." Ryuzaki said. "Anyway, we'll be adding Higarashi to those in the ranking tournament."

Higarashi's attention had begun to slip, the boy's head turning a he watched the other members of the tennis club. With Ryuzaki's orders to add him to those playing in the rankings, Ryuzaki turned to Higarashi, giving the boy the simply order of, "Play nice." before walking off, leaving the boy with Tezuka and Oishi. Tezuka and Oishi looked after Ryuzaki before turning to look down at Higarashi who was looking back up at them through the dark lenses of his sunglasses.

"Umm...what's your full name?" Oishi asked the boy, trying to get some kind of conversation going.

The boy's head tilted to one side, as if he was studying Oishi, making the older boy uncomfortable. Then, without a single word, Higarashi turned on his heel and simply walked away, hands in his pockets. Oishi tried to call the boy back, but he didn't respond and was soon out of earshot.

"I guess we just put down his family name." Oishi said, scratching his cheek as they watched the kid walk away.

Tezuka watched the boy as he walked away. While he wasn't a fan of the boy basically ignoring them, if Ryuzaki was suggesting the boy then, just like with Ryoma, the boy had to have some talent worth noting. The question of to what extent that talent went to, was still yet to be determined.

"Oishi." Oishi looked up at Tezuka when he called him. "Let's head in now."

Oishi nodded, following his captain as they retreated inside the school to an empty classroom that over looked the courts. There, Tezuka took the listen of potential regulars, Higarashi and Ryoma included, and begun working out four even blocks for them to compete in. Ryuzaki found them there, Tezuka still working.

"So how is it, Tezuka? Can you divide it into four blocks?" Ryuzaki asked, taking a seat. "This year's school tournament is like determining who will be regulars."

"Yes." Tezuka replied.

"By the way, Ryuzaki-sensei, aside from the new student you brought today, didn't you have another in mind? Like that first year." Oishi asked.

"It's just my thought. By our standards, aren't first years not allowed to enter the team until summer? Though I say we should add him and Higarashi to the tournament, it for the captain to decide." Ryuzaki replied.

"This Higarashi kid...who is he?" Oishi asked.

Ryuzaki smiled, as if she was enjoying her own inside joke. Tezuka even turned to glance back at her when she chuckled lowly to herself.

"Higarashi is a Russian champion, has been since a young age. Very skilled and talented, works hard, and has an eye for details. Is great in Singles and Doubles, has a really flexible style of tennis." Ryuzaki told him.

Tezuka, having listened to that, glanced down at the courts just ouside the window. Down below, he could see Higarashi, who had chosen a remote corner of the courts to warm-up, hitting balls over the net and into an awaiting basket on the other side. With careful contorl and aim, the balls never once touched the sides of the basket. 

He certainly had the control, that was for sure, but Tezuka would have to see the boy play first before he could properly judge his skill and talent.

And what better way than in the ranking tournament, itself?

-0-0-0-0-

Slow back hand, right step .088 seconds slower than left, forehand weaker to the left, response time a half step faster then average for a boy of his height and leg strength...

Higarashi watched Arai closely as the boy moved about the court in his warm-up match. It had been announced, just the day before, that Higarashi was going to be taking part in the ranking tournament and his first opponent was to be Arai. It was only natural for one to gather as much information on their opponent as they could before actually stepping on the court with them and that was exactly what the first year was doing.

He was watching, just watching. Nothing major, just processing the way the second year moved over his side of the court. Idly, Higarashi noted the parts of Arai's style that needed work and other parts that it was painfully clear the second year had worked at to approve, completely neglecting other parts. That thought alone made Higarashi want to chuckle lowly. It did no good to work at weak points so hard that it created new weak points.

As Arai returned a slice to his left corner, Higarashi's eyes, still lost behind sunglasses, followed his movements. Higarashi's head tilted to the side a fraction of an inch as Arai dived for a ball that was clearly outside his reach. He managed, with that dive, to save the ball and was back on his feet in time to chase down the ball again.

He had drive, and a lot of it. Higarashi knew that it meant that Arai, even when he had hit his limit with his stamina, would keep diving for the ball. Presisent to the end, basically, and that was a good thing. A player could have all the stamina in the world and a nearly perfect technique, but it was useless if they lacked drive as well. Without drive, a player would merely be going through the paces.

The warm-up match ended in Arai's favor, but Higarashi was impressed and content with what he saw. Drive in the members of a club was one thing he had looked for when chosing the middle school he would be going to and he had, pretty much, already settled on Seigaku when Ryuzaki had contacted him. The call had only finalized a decision he had already made.

Watching the drive and passion in even the club's non-regular members, made Higarashi hopeful that this was the right place for him to grow in his tennis and, maybe, find a couple of challenges along the way.

Now to just see how far that drive will take him, Higarashi thought as he turned away from the court, hand in pockets.

The upcoming match would be Higarashi's first step to becoming a regular in the tennis club and all he could do was take it one step at a time.

After all...that was how great cities were built.


End file.
